The Nigerian Navy has intensified its campaign against crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, recording major operational successes during the second quarter of Operation DELTA SENTINEL as Nigeria’s crude oil production exceeded its Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the sustained offensive coincided with the recent announcement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) that Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 per cent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest production level recorded since April 2020.
The statement said the Nigerian Navy intensified operations between April and June 2026 following the successful completion of the first quarter of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, with troops sustaining pressure on crude oil thieves, illegal refiners, pipeline vandals, militants and other economic saboteurs across the Niger Delta.
During the period under review, the Navy conducted more than 580 intelligence-led operations across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos states.
The operations led to the recovery of more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, the arrest of over 91 suspects involved in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, militancy and related offences, as well as the dismantling of more than 48 illegal refining sites.
The Navy also intercepted several vessels linked to crude oil theft and dismantled criminal logistics networks used to facilitate economic sabotage in the region.
Among the major successes highlighted were the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, which were allegedly involved in the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
The statement further disclosed that troops recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from a single illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State, while several intelligence-driven operations dismantled reactivated refining camps, intercepted illicit fuel consignments and disrupted attempts by criminal syndicates to restore illegal refining activities.
According to the Navy, coordinated riverine operations also led to the destruction of illegal refining sites, reservoirs, dugout pits, storage facilities, warehouses, concealed fuel caches, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts across the Niger Delta.
The Service noted that sustained naval operations have significantly disrupted crude oil theft networks by denying economic saboteurs freedom of movement, dismantling illicit petroleum supply chains and strengthening the security of critical oil and gas infrastructure.
The Nigerian Navy stated that the operational gains recorded under Operation DELTA SENTINEL have contributed to improved security within the nation’s oil-producing region, supporting the increase in crude oil production beyond Nigeria’s OPEC quota.
The Service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain and critical national assets while supporting the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
It added that intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration would be sustained to further degrade crude oil theft networks across the Nigerian maritime environment in line with the strategic vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
